Chapter 16 Book of Esther

Book of Esther Queen of Judah in Persia Ahasuerus became king and ruled over 127 provinces from India to Cush. In the third year after he ascended the throne in Shushan City, Ahasuerus hosted a banquet for civil and military officials, including the dignitaries of Persia and Medes and the chiefs of the provinces. During the 180-day banquet, he fully showed off his rule. The rich products of the country show his strong dignity as the king of a country.After that, Ahasuerus held a banquet in the royal garden of the palace for seven days to entertain the people of Shushan City.The garden is resplendent and resplendent, with white, green and blue tents tied on white jade pillars with purple hemp ropes and silver rings, gold and silver beds are placed on the ground of red, white, yellow and black jade, and golden cups are filled with fine wine from the imperial court. Silver cups... There are rules for drinking and drinking, so don't force it.At the same time, Queen Vashti arranged a banquet for the women in the palace.

On the seventh day, King Ahasuerus drank very happily, and wanted everyone to appreciate the beauty of his wife and share his happiness, because Queen Vasigao was very beautiful.He ordered the eunuch in front of him to invite the queen and let her wear a golden crown to see him.Not wanting the queen to refuse to obey, Ahasuerus was furious. At that time, Ahasuerus had seven high-ranking ministers from Persia and Medes around Ahasuerus. They were all philosophers who understood current affairs and could often meet with the king. He often asked them for advice when he had any questions.This time the queen disobeyed, the king summoned seven ministers to discuss how to deal with it.Minister Mimgan said, "Queen Vashti's actions will not only damage your dignity, but also harm your subjects. Because this matter spread to the ears of the women, it was said that Queen Vashti resisted King Ashti. They will follow Hasuilu's order. If the women of Persia and Medes learn about this and treat the king's ministers like the queen, it will form a culture of disrespecting their husbands and plant the bane of family conflicts. Your Majesty has the courage to speak out, please Your Majesty abolish Queen Vashti and set up another woman as Queen, and write this article into the laws of Persia and Media, and never change it, what do you think? The whole country issued a decree, so that all women must respect their husbands, regardless of whether they are rich or poor." The king and the other six ministers believed that Mimuyu's words were very reasonable, so they followed them.

After a while, Ahasuerus' anger gradually subsided, and he began to miss Vashti, but what he had said could not be changed.The ministers saw that the king was depressed all day long, so they suggested to him: "If your majesty is willing, we will send people to go to various places for beauty contests, and enter the women's court in Shushan City, so that the chief supervisor Xigai can teach them how to use spices. Your Majesty will then select the woman he likes to be the queen to replace Vashti," Ahasuerus agreed, and passed on the idea of ​​a national beauty officer. In the city of Shushan was a man of Judah named Wedecai, the great-grandson of Benjamin's Kiedu, the grandson of Tomeme, and the son of Orm.After the death of Undecai's uncle and aunt, he adopted their daughter Hadasa (later named Esther) as his adopted daughter.After the king's oracle came out, Esther, who was outstanding in appearance, was selected into the palace together with many girls.The eunuch Xigai liked her very much and treated her very well. He sent seven maids to serve her and let her live in the best room in the women's courtyard.Esther never told anyone about her family and birth, because Verdecai wouldn't let him.Undecai walked up and down in front of the women's courtyard every day, wondering if Esther was safe.

All girls who should be selected to enter the palace must purify their bodies for 12 months, apply myrrh oil for 6 months, and use spices for 6 months. After that, they will be presented to the state workers in order. When entering the palace, give her whatever she wants.Go in at night, go back to the Second Women's Court the next morning, and hand it over to Shajia, the chief concubine in charge. Unless the king likes her and nominates her again, she is not allowed to go in to see the king again. In October of the sixth year of King Ahasuerus, that is, the month of Tebel, Esther was called to the palace to meet the king.Before entering the palace, Xigai asked her what else she wanted, and she said she didn't need it.Fascinated by Esther, the king loved her more than any other woman, and decided to make San his queen instead of Vashti.In order to celebrate getting Esther as queen, Ahasuerus held a banquet to entertain the ministers, and decreed to exempt the provinces from taxation.

Later, Verdecai sat at the court door.There were two gatekeepers in the prison of Ahasuerus, named Pitan and Tireet, who hated the king and plotted to kill him.Not wanting Undecai to find out about his plan, he hurriedly told Esther.Esther reported to the king in the name of Undecai.As soon as Ahasuerus made an investigation and found that there was such a thing, he hung the two big prisons on the wood and ordered that this matter be recorded in the history books. Soon after, Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha of the Agag tribe, to be the prime minister, and gave orders to all the servants of the court.Seeing Haman must bow down.However, when Undecai saw Haman, he did not kneel or worship, and Haman was very annoyed.The courtiers advised Verdecai not to disobey the king's will, but Verdecai refused to listen, so they told Haman that Verdecai was from Judah.Haman had a plan in mind to exterminate the Jews and killed Verdecai.

In the first month of the 12th year of King Ahasuerus, that is, the month of Nisan, people cast lots in front of Haman to choose which month and day of the year to be an auspicious day. This method is called Tappur.This time, Tapur chose December as the auspicious month, that is, the month of Adar.After taking Purim, Haman said to Ahasuerus, "There is a people scattered in all the provinces of the land, whose statutes are different from those of all peoples, and do not keep your statutes, so it is of no use to your majesty to keep them alive. Your majesty, please issue an order to exterminate them, and I am willing to donate ten thousand talents of silver to the royal treasury for this purpose." Ahasuerus heard that those who did not obey his laws were to be exterminated, of course he supported it, and he never He took the ring with the seal from his hand and handed it to Haman the son of Hammedatha of Agag, the enemy of Judah, and said, "Keep this silver, I don't want it, and you will deal with this matter." , "On the thirteenth day of the first month, Haman called the king's clerk to pass the decree in the name of Ahasuelu Gong in the language and dialect of the provinces, and stamped the king's ring, and then sent the postmen to the provinces quickly.The imperial decree stated: In December, that is, on the 13th day of the month of Adar, the people of Judah should be killed regardless of men, women, or children.Following the order of the king, the postmen rushed to the provinces to convey the imperial decree, and the people in Shushan City also heard the news, and the city fell into panic. When Weidecai heard what Haman had done, he tore apart the city. own clothes.Put on sackcloth and walk through the city, weeping and wailing.Because wearing sackcloth is not allowed to enter the court gate, he stopped in front of the court gate.

Queen Esther's maids and eunuchs reported this to her, and she was very sad, and immediately sent someone to send clothes to Undecai.Verdecai would not accept her clothes, nor would she change her sackcloth, so Esther sent Hatach, a capable eunuch, to Verdecai. Hatach saw Verdecai, returned to the palace to report to the queen, and conveyed Verdecai's words, asking Esther to beg the king for mercy for the Judah family. King Ahasuerus has a rule: Anyone who enters the inner court to see the king without being called will be executed unless the king of jade stretches out a golden staff to him, and Esther has not been summoned to see the king of kings for 30 days.She told Weidecai about the situation, and Weidecai replied: "Don't think that you are safe from disaster because you are nobler than other Judas in the palace. Even if you keep silent this time, Judah will get it from other places." save you, but you and your father, that old man like me, will be destroyed. Maybe God made you queen just to save the people of Judah today.” Esther finally made up her mind, even with her own Life is also in exchange for the safety of the entire Judah family. She sent a messenger and said to Vedecai, "Go and gather all the Jews in the city of Shushan and fast for me for 3 days and 3 nights; I and my maids will do the same. Then I will go to the king in violation of the rules, and I will die."

Three days later, Esther put on her court clothes solemnly and walked into the inner courtyard of the palace.Ahasuerus was sitting on the pedestal, and when he saw Esther standing opposite the temple, he immediately stretched out his staff to her, and Esther hurried forward to touch the golden staff.Ahasuerus loved Esther very much, thinking that there must be something wrong with her coming without being called, so he said: "My queen, if you want anything, just say it, even half the country will give it to you." Esther Tie had already prepared a request: "I have prepared a banquet there. If Your Majesty wishes, please bring Haman to the banquet." Ahasuerus did as Esther asked.Before the banquet, the king said to Esther again: "I will give you whatever you want, even half the country will give you." If you are willing to give me what I want and grant what I ask, please bring Haman back to the banquet I prepared. I will definitely explain to you tomorrow."

Haman was very proud that day, because no one else was allowed to accompany the king to the banquet after work. He walked out of the court door happily, but his good mood was destroyed immediately: Weidecai did not show righteousness to him at the gate of the court. Ding knelt without even moving his body, and Haman returned home angrily.He called his friend and wife Zeresh to discuss how to deal with the undecided change. "It's better to set up a wooden frame 5 feet high, and ask the national worker to hang the undecai on it tomorrow morning, and then you can happily go to the banquet with the king." The wooden frame was made in a hurry.

That night, Ryahasuelu suddenly couldn't sleep and hated him for asking someone to fetch the history and read it to him.I happened to turn to that page, and it said: The king's two gatekeepers, the chief inspector, Bitan and Tirei, conspired to kill the king, and Wedecai told the queen about it.Ahasuerus asked, "Has Verdecai been honored for having done this work?" "No, nothing was given to him." "Who's in the yard?" "Haman. It is Haman standing in the courtyard." At this time, Haman was in the outer courtyard of the upper palace, wanting to ask that Verdecai be hung on the wooden frame he had prepared.

"Call me in." Haman immediately went into the temple.Ahasuerus asked: "According to your opinion, how should you treat the people whom you love and respect?" Haman thought to himself that what Ahasuerus said must be that he was the most favored because of the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, so he replied, "Your Majesty can give the court clothes that you often wear and the royal horse with the crown to a noble minister." Let him put clothes on the people whom His Majesty loves and respects, take him to ride a royal horse through the streets and alleys of the city, and declare in front of him that the people who are loved and respected by the King will be treated like this."" Good!" Ahasuerus said to Haman, "Now, do as you said just now, and send the clothes and horses to Verdecai sitting at the court gate, and nothing will be missing." Although Haman came to ask the king Mu Digai was punished, but he no longer dared to speak out about it.He obediently put Verdecai on the court clothes and led Verdecai on his royal horse to ride around the city, and declared in front of Verdecai, "This is how you treat those whom the king loves and honors." After receiving the king's favor, Verdecai returned to the court gate.Haman was very unhappy, and he went home sullenly, and told his friend and wife Zeresh what had happened in detail. "If you lost to Verdecai at the beginning, then you will definitely lose to him. He is a Jew." While they were talking to Haman, the palace eunuch came to urge Haman to go to Esther to have a banquet. Ahasuerus brought Haman to Esther's banquet again.The king said to Esther again: "My queen, I will give you whatever you want, even half of the country, and I will give you / Esther then replied." Your Majesty is willing, then what I want is that please give me my life: what I ask is that please give me my family.Because my clan and I have been betrayed, we will be beheaded and exterminated.If it was only us who were sold as slaves, I would have kept my mouth shut, but His Majesty's country has suffered and the population has dropped sharply. Is the enemy able to make up for it? " "Who came up with the idea? Where is this person?" "It's Haman before His Majesty, this rascal!" Haman panicked. He never expected Esther to make such a move.Ahasuerus was furious, stood up and left the banquet, and went to the imperial garden.Seeing that the king was angry, Haman knew that he would be punished, so he knelt down before Esther and begged for mercy.When Ahasuerus returned to the banquet from the royal garden, he saw Haman lying on the bed on which Esther was leaning, and he was even more angry: "Well, Haman, how dare you be in the palace, in front of the king?" , insulting the post-worker!" As soon as these words came out, several people rushed forward to arrest Haman.One of Ahasuerus' chief prisoners, Habonah, told the king that Haman had made a wooden frame five feet high and wanted to hang Verdecai on it. "Go to him for his own use," commanded the king. "Hang Haman on it!" On that day, Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the property of Haman, the enemy of Judah. Esther felt that it was time to explain her background, so she told the king about her relationship with Undecai.Only then did Ahasuerus realize that Undecai, who had saved his life, was actually the head of the country. He immediately sent him to the palace and gave him the ring recovered from Haman.Esther also put Midecai in charge of Haman's property. "Aren't you happy now?" Ahasuerus asked Esther.Unexpectedly, Esther knelt down in front of Guogong again with a plop, tears streaming down her face.Ahasuerus stretched out his golden rod, and she stood up and said, "Haman, the son of Hammedatha of the Agag tribe, conspired to send a decree to exterminate all the Judahs in all provinces. In the eyes of His Majesty, I ask His Majesty to issue a decree to abolish the decree passed by Haman. How can I bear to watch my people of the same clan be killed. What about the people of the same clan being killed?" Esther said. Weeping harder, Ahasuerus said to Esther and Vedecai, "Haman wanted to kill the people of Judah. ​​I hung him on a gallows and gave Esther his property. I gave the recovered ring to Weidecai. Decai. Now you can write decrees in the name of the king as you like, and seal the son of Judah with the king's ring seal." In the third month, that is, on the 23rd day of Sivan, the clerk of Ahasuelu Gong was summoned, and according to the Decai’s command was written in the name of the king in the languages ​​and dialects of various tribes, plus the language and dialect of Judah, and sealed with the king’s ring seal, and handed over to the postman to spread it quickly to the 127 provinces from India to Cush. of Judah, satraps, governors, and local leaders.In the decree, the king allowed the Judahs of the whole country to gather on December 13th to protect their lives and destroy all enemies who dared to attack the Judahs. The people of Shushan City were the first to know the news.They all cheered when Midecai came out of the palace, wearing a golden crown on his head, and wearing a blue and identical court dress, and a purple linen robe.Then the decree was spread all over the country, and the people of Judah rushed to tell each other, held a big banquet, and designated that day as an auspicious day.Some foreigners joined them and even became Jewish. When December 13th came, all the Jews of the country assembled in the towns of the provinces and struck down those who would harm them.The leaders, governors, and governors of the province helped the Judahs because they were afraid of undecided change. As a result, the Judahs were invincible and no one could stop them.At Shushan, the Judahs killed 500 people and all 10 of Haman's sons, but they did not loot, even though Ahasuerus' decree allowed it. On the same day, the number of people killed in Shushan was presented to the king, and Guogong said to the queen: "Look, the people of Judah killed 500 people and 10 sons of Haman in Shushan. I don't know what happened in the provinces. What? Now, I will give you whatever you want, and I will satisfy you, "If Your Majesty is willing, please allow the edict of today to continue to take effect for another day, so that Judas of Shushan can enter Mingda Then you can kill the enemy for another day, and hang the corpses of Haman's 10 sons on the wooden frame." Ahasueru agreed, and the people of Shushan hung the corpses of Haman's 10 sons on the wooden frame according to the decree. , and killed another 300 people on December 14, but still did not loot property. At the same time, the Jews in all provinces of the country killed a total of 75,000 enemies on the 13th, and did not plunder any property. The 14th was designated as an auspicious day for the feast of Huanshi, while the Jews of Shushan City designated December 15th as an auspicious day. Verdecai recorded this event and wrote to the Judahs in the provinces under the jurisdiction of Ahasuerus, announcing that December 14th and 15th were auspicious days every year to commemorate the Judahs killing their enemies and turning the corner.During these two days, the people of Judah celebrate with feasts, give gifts to each other, and give to the poor.Because all this was caused by Haman's plan to kill the Jews and draw lots for Purim, the Jews called these two days Purim.Queen Esther and Verdecai wrote a second letter to the Judahs in the 127 provinces of the country, urging them to keep Purim on time.Since then, keeping Purim has become the tradition of the Jews from generation to generation. The country of Ahasuerus is becoming stronger and stronger, which of course cannot do without the credit of Weidikai, because he has promoted Weidi to be the prime minister to manage the affairs of the same family.